THE WAITING ROOM
“That
didn't go so well, did it?”
I'm
back in the white room again. The furry thing is sat in front of me,
eyes trained on the floor. I tried to detect whether there was some
malice in its voice but couldn't perceive anything. It was just as
calm and comforting as before.
“I
wasn't ready for that.”
“We're
all different. You'll need to think about that next time. That is, if
you want to try again?”
“Definitely.”
“Even
after sacrificing the life of an innocent?”
This
was a good point. Poor old Barry, I could distinctly remember his
concerns and feelings. He hadn't deserved that end, that was for
sure, but then after all didn't it serve Josh right? He took from me
the one I loved and now I had just done the same to him.
“So
you can rationalise it then. Very well. Just remember though that the
reawakening process will be more difficult this time.”
I
nod. This time I would be ready. I wouldn't rush into anything. I
would have my revenge and be done with it, so that I could take some
time to experience the world again. Perhaps I could visit Sarah, see
how she was doing? Buoyed by these thoughts, I pad my way over to the
door again.
* * *
CHOOKI AND THE AWAKENING
This
day is enjoyable. I have scared away
another from my territory when the light
was low in the sky and found several
large worms shortly after to give to my
mate and the young. They are delighted
with the food I have provided for them.
I
am still hungry though, so I am
currently scanning the grasses for more. I
can see some berries down by the bottom
of the leaf hedge so I wheel around.
I scan for big beasts but cannot see
any. I swoop down and land. I give out a
pook-pook-pook and hop over to the berries.
The
berries are red and I eat four berries straight away. The berries are
soft and sweet, like worm flesh but moister. I can see some old
crumbly leaves at the bottom of the leaf hedge and so I am going to
have a look and see if there are any crunchies hidden inside. I find
a small crunchy straight away. It tries to scuttle past me but my
beak is down straight-away and I have eaten another delicious morsel.
I can see another crunchy, one of the ones that curls up like a
stone. My beak is down and I have eaten another one. I am trying to
find some more of these crunchies as I enjoy them the most, but there
aren't any.
I
hear a rustle from further along the leaf hedge but I can't see
anything. I hop away from the leaf hedge into the open grass and have
a look around. I cannot see anything. I hear a pook-pook-pook from
behind me, and there is the other that I scared away from our
territory perched on a tree branch. He has seen a big beast but I
cannot see one. I hear a rustle from the leaf hedge and turn to see
one of the long claws creeping out from behind a large pile of
crumbly leaves. I hop, hop, hop away and take to the air again, away
from the long claws and alight upon the same tree as the other that I
scared away earlier.
I
don't know why he came back to my territory after I scared him away
earlier, but if he hadn't then the long claws might have gotten me. I
really dislike the long claws. They are the worst of all the big
beasts. I am thinking about how they are like this other that I
scared away earlier. They don't care about who the territory belongs
to. They are always stalking around the nests of the giant worms, the
ones that use all the tools. The tool worms don't seem to mind
though. It is as though they think the long claws are just another
tool of theirs. The long claws are not just another tool of theirs.
The long claws don't care about anyone but themselves. I don't see
long claws hunting for worms and berries and crunchies to take back
for the mates and young.
The
other that I scared away earlier gives out a chink-chook-chook and
takes to the air. The other that I scared away earlier has confused
me. I gave out a pook-pook-pook to keep others away from the food.
The other that I scared away gave out a pook-pook-pook to warn me
about the long claws. This is long claws thinking. Or tool worm
thinking.
I
don't think I am feeling well so I decided to return to the nest.
I have become airbourne. The thermals take
me above the tree and I soar over
the other trees and leaf hedges and tool
worm nests towards my own nest in my
own tree. The tool worm nests always
impress me. They are like bigger versions
of the tiny crawler nests, but very few
tool worms live in them. More different
creatures live in them, like crunchies, web
scuttlers, long claws, loud jaws, even
others that I've scared away build their
nests in them. We are all cuckookoos
where the tool worms are concerned.
I
can see my nest. My mate and my
young are inside it. I can also see
that other that I have scared away
perched on the branch next to the nest.
I am angry. He is bowing his head.
My mate is motionless and her tail is
down. Good. Keep it down. I am angry.
I cannot believe that this other that I
have scared away is attempting to cuckookoo
my mate. I cannot think of ever
seeing such a thing before. Although, maybe,
perhaps, once, I did?
I
can remember.
I
land on a nearby branch and remember, a time when I flew once before,
uncontrolled, the wind rising up at me from below, featherless, wings
not catching the air currents. I can remember falling out of the
nest, pushed by another who wanted to be with my mate.
Josh.
Worm. I am going to have vengeance. This time, I am. I am pausing to
think about things this time. I need to find out where I am, then
find out where Josh is. Then, I am not sure. Perhaps I can divebomb
him, or drop something onto him, or cause him to fall. I can work it
out when I see him. My mate is still motionless with her tail down,
though she is looking at me now. I will be back for her, and our
young, I just have to deal with Josh first. I hop off the branch and
take to the sky once more. As I do so I take
one last look at my mate. She has
raised her tail and is moving now.
I
am soaring over the tool worm nests,
racking my brain to try and work out
which one might be Josh's. I can do
it, I know, but it is difficult, trying
to apply my tool worm memories to this
new point of view. If I was to go
lower then I would be at risk from
big beasts. It comes to me though, the
gutters of Josh's nest. They were full
of leaves. That was why I was climbing
the ladder, to remove the leaves for
him. Yes! I give out a cheerful
seeeeeeeeeeeee and wheel around, scanning for
his untidy nest. I know it is nearby,
I can feel it. I can recognise the
curving roads and trees and leaf hedges
that divided the neighbourhood. And there, I
can see it!
I
stoop down and land on a wooden platform in Josh's back-garden. There
are some seeds scattered on it and I can eat several of them whilst I
devise my plan of attack. I am pleased that these are here. Looking
at his nest, I can see that this side of the house is opened up. He
must be finding it hot. This means he will be here as well. He
wouldn't leave his nest open if he wasn't at home. And yes! I can
see, directly in front of me, him! Bastard tool worm. He sits on his
chair. There is someone else next to him, who I cannot see in the
light. That's it. Just from seeing him, I know I can finish him now.
I can fly into him, as fast as I can, and my beak can go through his
eye and into his brain. Yes! I'm coming you bastard.
I
hop off this food platform and take to the air once more, circling
around so that I can generate enough speed to do some damage. Before
I make my flight, I locate some excrement in the grasses beside his
nest. This was from his loud jaw. I stab my beak into it. If I don't
kill him then I can make any wound a dirty one.
I
am in sky again before any long claws
can hear me. I can circle around the
nest three times and generate enough
speed to do the damage. I make my
rapid descent. My feathers are strong and
I fly like divine wind. Closer. Closer. I
can almost feel it.
I
feel an intense pain. My beak is forced backwards into my head as I
am halted mid-flight. My head. Everything spins. I cannot. I cannot
feel. What? Everything is flashing colours. The window. Of course, it
was a window. He never opens his windows. He is afraid that web
scuttlers will get in his nest. He hates climbing ladders in case he
climbs into one dangling in the air. Everything is loud pain. I
cannot move. My beak isn't working. Everything is loud pain, apart
from the sound of rustling from the leaf hedge, and the warning cry
of a chook-chook-chook, from another who has just seen one of the
long claws.
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment